Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto elects arbitration

Flyers restricted free-agent defenseman Michael Del Zotto has decided to go to player-elected salary arbitration to determine his salary for the 2015-16 season.

The 25-year-old Ontario, Canada native was one of 23 NHL players who filed for arbitration on Sunday.

Del Zotto will have a hearing with an arbitrator sometime between July 20 and Aug. 4.

The Flyers signed Del Zotto as a free agent on Aug. 5, 2014 after it was announced that Kimmo Timonen would miss at least six months due to a blood disorder which caused clots in the Finnish defenseman's lungs and leg.

Del Zotto played 64 games last season, registering 10 goals and a total of 32 points, with a minus-5.

He earned $1.3 million for that year of work. Del Zotto and Flyers general manager Ron Hextall have been in contract negotiations for a couple months but have not been able to reach a resolution.

Hextall has made it clear that he wants Del Zotto back. With Timonen retired (having been traded to Chicago before winning a Stanley Cup), plus Braydon Coburn and Nick Grossmann traded, the Flyers are going in a different direction, emphasizing speed and youth.

Complicating the Del Zotto contract matter has been the Flyers' salary cap situation. Hextall has been making transactions (such as the recent trade of Zac Rinaldo to Boston) to try to get the Flyers' salary cap in compliance for next season.